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With two days until I make my half-marathon debut, I have been doing extensive research on pre-race nutrition and hydration….

The good news: I get to eat as many carbs as I want for the next two days without any guilt. Bring on the pasta, bread and potatoes.

The bad news: NO BOOZE! Before a race, an athlete needs to consume as much water and fluids as possible to up the body’s hydration level. I tried to plea my case for beer’s high carb content but that didn’t fly.

BUT I MIGHT NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN BEER AND HYDRATION; COULD BEER BE THE NEXT SPORTS DRINK!?

Andrea Henkel, German sprint racer

One Bavarian beer company thinks so! They produce a non-alcoholic beer, called Erdinger Alkoholfrei, that promises isotonic benefits to athletes and fellow drinkers. Like Gatorade or other sports drinks, Erdinger Alkoholfrei is said to help athletes recover and rehydrate post-workout . It also promises the same great taste of regular beer minus the alcohol (only .05 alcohol content) and hangover side-effects.

Erdinger Alkoholfrei is growing in popularity all over the world, but non-alcoholic beers have never found much profitability in the U.S. Making matters worse, this “athlete’s beer” goes for $10 per six-pack.

After weighing the pros and cons of Erdinger Alkoholfrei, I am still not convinced. Unless this beer is the best tasting beverage since McDonald’s Shamrock Shake (available NOW–so excited!), it doesn’t seem worth it to me.